


ask some questions (and get none answers)

by LeanMeanSaltineMachine



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Rated T for language, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 16:09:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12461265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeanMeanSaltineMachine/pseuds/LeanMeanSaltineMachine
Summary: prompt: first time Vax meet Trinket----Why did he ever leave his sister alone? Why were they ever out of each other’s sight, why did he leave her, whywhywhy?And Vax knew the answers of course. He left his sister alone so they could get multiple things done at once - like watching the camp while he gathered illicit gold for a few more days of survival. They were out of each other’s sight when they had to do strange things like sleeping and pissing.And he left her because it needed to be done, and she could take care of herself, and nothing had ever happened before.





	ask some questions (and get none answers)

**Author's Note:**

> yoooo sup first 'official' critical role fic! hope u enjoy

Why did he ever leave his sister alone? Why were they ever out of each other’s sight, why did he leave her, why _why **why**_?

And Vax knew the answers of course. He left his sister alone so they could get multiple things done at once - like watching the camp while he gathered illicit gold for a few more days of survival. They were out of each other’s sight when they had to do strange things like sleeping and pissing.

And he left her because it needed to be done, and she could take care of herself, and nothing had ever happened before.

That reasoning felt so stupid in hindsight, but Vax was known for his thievery, not his general intelligence. This left him to stew in an abandoned camp featuring glowing coals and the upsetting lack of his sister’s things.

She wouldn’t leave him. She would _never._ They were in this together, for life, them against the world. No, he wasn’t worried about his sister’s loyalty. But the world never did play fair or allow jackshit for them, and this knowledge covered every action and thought in a layer of sick worry.

He filled the slowly stretching hours with mindless tasks. He built up the fire again, taking extra care that it wouldn’t smoke (much). He patrolled the perimeter. He sharpened his knives. He paced around the fire and broke sticks into more kindling than a half-elf could possibly need. He sharpened his knives. He re-tied his boots, recrossed the laces, rubbed halfheartedly at the smudges on his leather, and contemplated learning to sew so he could patch his clothing. He sharpened his knives.

The sun moved a little.

Eventually enough time passed that the embers from his fire added tiny dots of light next to the stars. A hunched figure melted out of the shadows and he was on his feet in a moment, daggers in hand, before he saw that it was Vex.

Vex, clutching a bundle of quivering brown fur.

“Where _the hell_ have you been?” Vax demanded, his voice sharp with concern and an unhealthy amount of relief.

“You’re always finding little trinkets to take with you,” she scoffed as she put the lump on the ground. “I wanted one of my own.”

“So you wandered into the woods and came back with a _bear cub?_ ” And that’s exactly what it was, down to the tiny claws that would someday grow large enough to kill a man, round ears, and the black eyes showing their whites.

“His mother was killed. He needed a home.” She began rifling through his pack and pulled out one of the little bits of food they had left, offering it to the fearful cub. It sniffed at it then pulled back. Vax couldn’t blame the little thing - he’s not sure he would touch something edible from the bottom of his pack either. She sighed and placed the food next to her on the ground before studying the woods and the fire fiercely.

Vax braced himself for an argument. “Vex, we can’t feed it, we can barely feed ourselves –”

“Trinket isn’t an _it_ , Vax,” she hissed before he could even really get started. “And don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”

“Whatever,” he snapped and sat down on his bedroll with a huff. There were some moments of tense silence as she continued to try and coax the thing to eat. “Where did your pack go?” he asked eventually.

“I lost it,” she replied, and if she hadn’t been avoiding his eyes before she certainly was now.

“You… lost it,” he repeated slowly. “You –”

“Yes, I lost it, I’m a terrible sister and a horrible person and I randomly adopt bear cubs from the woods, I know Vax, _I know,_ okay!” Her voice cracked and he was next to her in the next second to hold her close.

“Shh, Stubby, it’s okay,” he murmured. The feeling of tears began to seep into his shoulder. “We all have our faults, hm? I steal gold, you steal baby animals, it’s okay. We’ll make it through this. We always have -” he took her face in his hands to brush the tears away - “we always will.”

Tears still spilled from her eyes but she nodded and cracked a wavering smile. The cub toddled up to lay on her legs and stare up at Vex balefully as if only one of the two of them could afford to be upset at any one time, and it was Vex’s turn to be unhappy. She ran her hand over his fur as Vax watched silently.

He sighed, then asked, “Trinket, you said?” He reached out to pet the cub; it - he - shied away from his hand, but at least he didn’t try to bite it.

“Yeah,” Vex sighed softly. “Yeah. His name’s Trinket.”

Vax nodded and pulled his bedroll over. It seemed the two of them would be sharing tonight, considering Vex’s pack had gone for a mysterious and unwelcomed stroll. “Welcome to the family, little guy,” he said. “You can eat my vegetables.”

Vex giggled wetly and he knew that they were going to be okay. And, well, maybe it would be nice to have a foot warmer.


End file.
